Open Source Ticketing System

Open source ticketing system: Free help desk

What is an open source ticketing system?

As your company grows, your IT team has to track, monitor and resolve an increasing number of support requests from internal users. A ticketing system (or help desk) is a cost-effective solution for managing the queue by assigning a number to each new request and logging it as a ticket in a database. Free open source ticketing systems have evolved to provide that function at no initial cost to the company.

Zendesk is an open API ticket solution, so 3rd party developers can build new integrations with our platform. This offers the advantages of open source ticketing without requiring your administrators and users to configure the system themselves.

An open source solution isn’t always free

While there are some short-term benefits to open source ticketing, such as saving money on your initial investment, most companies will likely spend the same amount or more in implementing, configuring, and customizing your internal ticketing system. Furthermore, the potential return on investment in Zendesk far outweigh the costs over time.

Reaping the benefits

One of the most appealing benefits of an open source ticketing system is that it usually allows you an unlimited number of users. Also, most open source help desk software allows full customization to meet your business needs, if your IT team has the programming skills to take advantage of it. If not, select a ticketing solution with an installer tailored to your business (e.g., manufacturing, construction, shipping).

When to get an open source ticketing system

Most IT teams begin looking for a free open source ticketing system as soon as they find out there’s no budget for a SaaS or on-premises help desk. They know that it won’t be long before they outgrow their spreadsheets, so the sooner they adopt an open API ticketing solution like Zendesk, the sooner they can grow into features such as ticket locking, localized versions, analytics and dashboards.

Next steps

Spend a few hours visiting sites and compiling a list of the features available in open source help desk ticketing software. Then poll your IT staff for the features most important to them. As long as you align your expectations to the reality of a ticketing system that costs you nothing initially, you may be able to find a package that works for your company.